My name and phone number are getting passed around a lot, and with that, I get some pretty ridiculous calls. " I got this used belt from a thrift store, and had to cut the end off, This fella said you might could put some stitches in it, and punch some holes too?" I suggested he go back to the thrift store and buy one that fits.
But, the other day, I got a call from a fella to do some repair work on a gun belt, and talk about doing a holster for his Kimber. Ok, I'll bite. He has a Bianchi Buscardaro type belt and Bianch holster for a 22. He's put on a few too many pounds, and the belt doesn't fit. Could I add something? I can take the tongue off, and duplicate it, only longer. Can I match the color? It is a few years old, and faded, but I say I can come close. Oh, and add a piece onto the buckle side too. Sure, why not? Getting the color close was a lot of trial and error testing. I could get the color or the shade, but not both. It ended up the right color, just a tad darker. Ironically, it looked like the belt had never been treated in it's life. So I wiped it down with some Neetsfoot, and then hit it with a little creme, and the color came back to a very close match.
Now for the punchline. The wife comes out to the shed, and sees the belt. "That's not one of your's." I say it is a customer who wanted a patch job. He really likes his Bianchi Leather. She then asked me, "What is Bianchi?" I said they are one of the top manufacturers of gun leather. She says "That looks like dime store stuff compared to your stuff."